The President of the Kinshasa Provincial Assembly has called the governor of the city to account on the financial management and transparency of the municipal administration. Godé Mpoy claims that ministers, civil servants and sanitation partners have not been paid for several months, and that he holds Gentiny Ngobila responsible for this scandalous situation. The two political figures have always worked on good terms with each other, but recent correspondence from Mr. Mpoy has revealed the intense conflicts that undermine their relationship.
According to Mpoy, Ngobila manages the city’s finances lightly, does not pursue the Afriland dispute, and uses the city’s money for the personal interests of a family. The President of the Provincial Assembly wishes to trace these funds and carry out a general audit of the municipal coffers. This request for an audit may not please Mr. Ngobila, who believes that the city’s finances are managed in complete transparency.
However, some city employees have dubbed Ngobila’s management “opacity”, and Mpoy is demanding that borrowing authorizations issued by the Provincial Assembly be revealed within 48 hours. Other areas of concern include late salary payments for MPPs and city staff, and the presence of fictitious agents on city payrolls.
It should be noted that the two political figures have worked together effectively in the past, cooperating on sensitive issues such as the construction of the central market and the management of Kinshasa’s sanitation program, known as “Kin Bopeto”. However, Mr Mpoy’s recent request for transparency reveals a potential state of crisis in the financial management of the city which may require an independent investigation to restore the public’s confidence in their municipal leaders.